Matteo Alpini, the spiker who hits from both the first and second lines, was undoubtedly one of the key players in ErmGroup Altotevere’s 3-0 victory in Sabaudia. With 15 points and a remarkable 60% hit rate, he was the leading scorer in the PalaVitaletti match, not to mention his equally important 59% reception rate, with a 41% perfection rate. The only discordant note: his serve, with four errors in seven serves. “Yes, indeed, my performance in attack and reception was positive,” the Tuscan player replied with a smile, “while my serve was an off day: it happens. In the end, however, we won 3-0: the rest matters little, or at least less.” This is also because ErmGroup built and pursued this victory with a mental step that deserves further emphasis. “Our entire team certainly put their heads together right from the start,” Alpini emphasized, “and that wasn’t a given, because after the long break, there was a risk of a drop in intensity. Furthermore, we’re limited in training now, but we’ve always put in the effort: the joint tests helped us maintain our pace, and in any case, the real match was last Sunday. So, we maintained a proactive attitude: we started calmly, knowing what we’d have to do on the pitch and respecting the coach’s tactical instructions, which we’d studied and prepared during the week, with the addition of a healthy dose of character. Clearly, the break helped us regain our mental energy after a strong first half of the season and a start to the second half where we struggled to maintain the same level. Then, towards the end, we improved again, and the trend seems to be continuing for the moment.” In short, Altotevere’s seasonal trend appears to be on the up again: enough to work more calmly without slackening concentration.
